Hands Open
by keycloak
Summary: After the war, the losses of the wizarding community were substantial. A marriage law is passed, and Hermione doesn't get paired with the Weasley she was expecting. Disregards Fred's death and DH epilogue.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I am not Jo Rowling, and I am not responsible for the amazing series that is Harry Potter. Also, this is my first fanfic. Please keep that in mind!_

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><p>"Perce, you're joking!" Fred shouted as the Death Eater collapsed on the ground.<p>

"You actually _are _joking, Perce...I don't think I've heard you joke since you were - "

Suddenly, an explosion ripped through the air, sending rubble flying in every direction. "No – no – no!" Someone was shouting. "No! Percy! No!"

Fred sat beside his older brother, shaking his lifeless body. Tears were streaming down his face as he held the brother he had just gotten back. He realized that he was gone, and anger contorted his face. Fred let out a bull-like roar, "ROOKWOOD!" and sprinted off in the direction of a tall man, who was pursuing a couple of students.

As he was running after the Death Eater that killed Percy, flashes of green light flew past him. He was breathing heavily, focusing only one the man who murdered his brother and dodging curses. Suddenly, he slammed into another person. Preparing to stun a Death Eater, he came face to face with his twin. Relief flooded him, knowing his other half was safe. But he remembered who he was after, and grabbed George's shoulder.

"George, Percy's dead. Rookwood is responsible. We have to get him." The words quickly tumbled out of Fred's mouth, and a sob escaped from George. Fred didn't waste any time, clasped his arm, and started running towards where the Death Eater had gone. They cast and blocked spells as they ran, searching for Rookwood. They stopped to catch their breath, not having any luck finding him.

George's eyes scanned the area, and stopped at a certain bushy haired Gryffindor dueling a Death Eater just down the corridor. Hermione was holding her own fine, until he noticed a cloaked figure raising their arm to her back, taking aim. Suddenly George was sprinting towards her. She stunned the Death Eater she was fighting, only to turn around to see the other one with his wand towards her.

Before the man could harm her, he yelled, "STUPEFY!" The Death Eater fell into a heap on the ground. "Are you alright?" George asked her, breathing heavily.

"I'm fine."

"Where are Harry and Ron?"

"I'm not sure. I got separated from them after the wall exploded." Her eyes were shining with tears, worry etched all over her face. She hated not being with them right now, not knowing if they were safe or not.

"I need to go and find them."

George nodded. "Stay safe."

They left each other there. George going to find Fred, and Hermione to find Harry and Ron.

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><p>The battle was finally over. They had won.<p>

As wonderful as it was that Voldemort was gone, so many people had died. Hermione was in the Great Hall, her eyes full of tears as she looked at all of the people who were dead. Lupin, Tonks, Percy, Colin Creevey, and so many others.

Someone came up to her and took her hand. She looked up into the eyes of Ron. He gave her a half smile, and squeezed her hand. He didn't need words. Hermione knew what he was saying. _It's going to be alright. It's all over._

She gave him a small, tired smile, and they went to go and find Harry.

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><p><em>Author's note:<em>

_Sorry it was so short! But I need a little bit of set up before I get the story going. Patience, please!_


	2. Chapter 2

It had been three months since the battle at Hogwarts, and things were slowly becoming normal again. Harry was living with the Weasleys, with the exception of the twins, who were living in the flat above their shop in Diagon Alley. Hermione, after getting them back from Australia and restoring their memories, was spending time with her parents. She had missed them desperately, and just enjoyed lounging around the house in her quiet Muggle neighborhood.

In about a week, she was going to the Burrow to join Harry and the others. While she loved her parents, she had to go back to the wizarding world. Hermione was sitting on the couch in between her parents as all three of them were watching the telly. Her mother, Jean, was stroking her hair. Since they were reunited, she was constantly touching her daughter, almost as if she was afraid she was going to lose her again. Her mother wasn't particularly excited about Hermione leaving for the Burrow, but she understood why she was going.

Hermione could feel her eyes start to droop, and she put her hand over her mouth as she yawned. Her father noticed this, and with a warm smile, said, "I think it's time for bed." Not only was her mother very protective, Hermione's father was as well. She bid her parents goodnight, and made her way up to her room.

After donning pajamas and brushing her teeth, she finally slid beneath the covers on her bed. She brought the blanket up to her face, only leaving the top half of her face showing. She glanced at a photo on the nightstand beside her bed. It was taken right after her second year of Hogwarts at King's Cross. Hermione was in the middle of her two best friends, all three of them with huge smiles. It was a picture her parents had taken, so it was completely still.

Her eyes focused on Ron's face. She sighed a little, and moved herself to lay on her back. Staring at the ceiling, her thoughts all revolved around him. Before going on the hunt for Horcruxes, Hermione thought she had loved Ron. After him and Lavender broke up, she thought he might feel something back. She kept waiting, but Ron never displayed any signs that he did. Then finally during the battle at Hogwarts, when he expressed an interest in the safety of the house elves, she couldn't help but run over and kiss him.

After that, he started to like her. For the first couple weeks after the war was finished, and Hermione wasn't able to go and get her parents yet, they had been getting along quite well while she stayed at the Burrow. They snuck around, snogging in random places, and just enjoying each other's company.

But one evening, they were sitting beside a pond, and Hermione grabbed his hand. Ron pulled it back, much to her confusion.

"What's wrong?" She asked. He looked up at her sheepishly.

"I don't think I'm ready to go this quickly." He said with a smile. Hermione was thoroughly confused.

"So what you're saying is, holding your hand is going too quickly, yet snogging behind a tree isn't?"

He shook his head, as if she wasn't understanding what he was saying. "No, that's not it. Snogging, well, it doesn't really seem that intimate. But holding hands...that means that were more than two friends who just want to snog."

It was the entirely wrong thing to say, and he realised that after he had said it, based on the glare she was shooting at him.

"Is that all I'm good for Ronald? A snog? You're telling me, that after all these years of pining after you, and we start seeing each other, you still don't feel anything romantic towards me?" She shrieked the last sentence.

"No no no! I do like you, Hermione. I, well, I think I could end up falling in love with you. But I think a relationship would be too soon right now. After everything that just happened, we just need to relax."

Though she didn't understand the fact that Ron didn't want to be with her if he liked her, his confession of being able to fall in love with her silenced Hermione's worry. She smiled sweetly at him, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. They went back inside after that, and Hermione left to get her parents the next day.

As she stared up at the ceiling, she hoped that Ron might want to try being a couple when they saw each other again. She hoped her absence knocked some sense into him. As she continued to think about her ginger best friend, she slowly fell asleep.

Four days before she was due to leave for the Burrow, an owl arrived at her window while she was reading a book in her room in the early morning. It was a copy of the Daily Prophet. Hermione gave the owl a treat, and it flew off.

As she read the large title of the front page article, she dropped the paper with a cry, as if it were scalding hot.

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><p>"Oi! George! Get up!" George Weasley felt a body jump on his bed, then start to bounce.<p>

Prying open one eye, he saw his twin with a huge grin on his face as he jumped up and down. He groaned, closed his eye, then pull the covers over his head. Suddenly, cold air washed over his warm body. He sat up and glared at his brother.

"Hey, don't look at me like that. You need to get up!"

"And for what reason, dear Freddie, did you feel the need to wake up me at," he craned his neck at a clock beside his bed, "six in the morning?"

Fred grinned like a madman. "It's the first day we open the shop back up!"

Realization dawned on George's face, and he grinned back at his twin.

"Fantastic! You're forgiven, brother. Though, I don't know how long I could have stayed angry at your handsome face."

Fred laughed and shoved him, then got up to leave the room.

George stood up, grabbed a towel, and went to grab a change of clothes from his dresser. Standing in the shower, he sighed against the hot water pounding against his back. He began to hum a favorite song, and started to think about how good of a day this was going to be, when he heard his brother shout his name. Jumping out of the shower, he put on his clothes quickly, and darted out into their living room.

"Are you okay? Fred, what's wrong?" He asked with panic in his voice. Fred stood with a copy of the Daily Prophet in his hands, and looked up at George with a pale face. All he did was turn around the paper and held it up, so he could see the huge title on the front.

**MINISTRY PASSES MARRIAGE LAW**

George's eyes widened, and he felt faint. Marriage law? What does that mean? Did he have to get married? To whom? Questions after questions swirled around in his mind, before Fred finally spoke.

"It says that any unmarried witch or wizard between the ages of seventeen and forty are being forced to wed."

George's heart hammered in his chest. Marriage? He didn't even have a girlfriend, so how was he supposed to get married?

"It also says that the Ministry will be picking the spouses, and there will be no choice in whom you marry."

At that, George felt sick. Apparently his twin did as well, because they both rushed to the toilet.

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><p>Hermione's hands were shaking. She couldn't believe it. A marriage law.<p>

The logical half of her told her it made sense. There were so many losses in the war, it was only natural that the population of the wizarding community plummeted.

But a law forcing you to wed, and not even giving you a choice about your spouse? She felt tears well up in her eyes. She was only eighteen, but she was going to have to get married to some man she didn't love.

Then a thought struck her.

Ron! Of course she was going to be paired with him. Who else? Though she usually didn't like using the 'war hero' excuse, she felt a little better knowing that the Ministry of Magic would probably pair her with Ron, due to both of them helping Harry in bringing down Voldemort. Yes, she would definitely be paired with him.

Though she was still uneasy about getting married so young, she knew she was going to marry Ron eventually. It was just happening a bit sooner than either of them planned.

Hermione read through the article one more time, making sure she didn't miss anything vital. There, at the end of it, was a sentence stating that all single witches and wizards would be receiving the name of their match in a week. So soon?

Even though she was practically convinced she would marry Ron, she still felt sick to her stomach.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Disclaimer: I am not Jo Rowling, and I am not responsible for the amazing series that is Harry Potter._**

** Twilight Gleek and M. Winchester Potter - Thank you very much!**

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><p>During the week leading up to her arrival at the Burrow, Hermione was going mad with worry. The more she thought about getting married, the more panicked she became. It didn't help that her parents were completely outraged when she told them about it.<p>

"What do you mean, _you're going to get married?_" Her father demanded. She calmly explained to them just how much the war had affected the wizarding world, but they still wouldn't allow it.

"No, no, no. Under no circumstances will my eighteen year old daughter be getting married to some man that she does not know." Her mother kept repeating this same thing, over and over again.

"Mum, dad. I have no choice." Hermione tried to explain to them. "If I don't do this, then they'll break my wand, and I won't allowed to be a witch anymore. Don't you see that I can't give that up?"

Her mother was shaking her head silently, and her dad was staring at the ground. After a few minutes, he looked up at his little girl with a sigh. "As much as I hate, no, _despise_, this marriage law, I understand."

Hermione went over to her father and embraced him tightly, then did the same to her mum.

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><p>"Fred, what are we going to do?" George groaned as he sat on the couch, his face in hands.<p>

Fred was pacing back and forth, holding a piece of parchment with all the details of the marriage law, studying at it intently. They had been trying to find some sort of a loophole for days, but weren't having any luck.

He suddenly stopped his nervous habit, and looked at his brother, stress evident on his freckled face.

"I don't think there's anything we can do."

Admitting defeat was a very hard thing for a Weasley twin to do. Fred went over and sat next to George. They stayed silent for quite awhile, letting the reality of their impending marriages sink in.

In a very quiet voice, Fred said, "I just hope that I get Angelina. We've been dating for over a year now. I love her, Georgie. What if...what if some other bloke gets to marry her?"

"I'm sure that you two will be matched. It did say that the ministry was using some sort of method to pair people together, based on their compatibility. At least you'll _know_ the woman you're going to marry."

Fred nodded glumly, not convinced by George's words.

"Come on, we have to get to the Burrow. Mum's making a big dinner to celebrate everyone being back together again."

The boys lifted themselves off the couch, and flooed to their childhood home.

As they stepped out of the fireplace, the place was a madhouse. Molly was running about, shouting orders at Arthur, Charlie, Bill, Fleur, Ron, and Ginny. She was cooking dinner, and directing everyone else to clean.

"Merlin's beard, mum. It's only Harry and Hermione!" George said, making his and Fred's arrival known.

"Oh, hello, boys! Don't just stand their, clean! It may only be Harry and Hermione, but it's our first meal all together again."

As she finished her sentence, pain flashed across her face. But as soon as it was there, it left. George knew that she was thinking of Percy.

Even though he was a git before the Final Battle, he had shown his true loyalty in the end, and it made his death more painful. Even the twins, who pranked him mercilessly when they were kids, missed him very much.

Molly shuffled out of the living room, and back into the kitchen. Arthur went over to hug his sons.

"I've missed you boys. The shop keeping you busy?" They nodded.

"We're sorry we haven't been over as much, dad. But we were just -"

"- trying to find some sort of loophole in this ridiculous marriage law."

Their father shook his head. "There isn't one. Trust me, the ministry made it so there wouldn't be."

"Yes, we came to that conclusion." George said darkly.

Just as Arthur was opening his mouth to say something, the fireplace roared to life, and out stepped Harry Potter.

"Harry!" Molly bustled over to him, brushing off his clothes, fixing his hair, and straightening his glasses.

"Mum, stop coddling him!" Ginny said jokingly, as she went over to give him a hug. Her and Harry shared a look, and smiled shyly at each other. Molly saw this, and smiled mischievously.

"Now, Harry, how are you doing? I trust you enjoyed your stay at Andromeda's?"

Harry nodded excitedly. "Yes, it was brilliant! I loved being able to spend time with Teddy."

Whenever he mentioned his godson, Harry always became happy and excited. Teddy had become the light of his life, and tried to spend as much time as he could with the little boy.

Ron entered the room, stuffing his face with food, not realizing his best friend had arrived.

"Oi, Ron! Is food more important than your best mate?" Harry called.

Ron looked up, his eyes lit with happiness, and ran over to him.

"Harry! I didn't know you were here!" He said as he hugged him.

"Obviously!" Harry laughed as he embraced his friend. As everyone was paying attention to Harry, nobody had noticed Hermione Granger arrive through the fireplace.

She stopped, and didn't say anything. Just looking around at everyone in the room, she felt happy. Completely, happy. Even though she was terrified of getting married, especially to someone she might not know, she wouldn't give up her family in the wizarding world for anything.

While nobody noticed Hermione, George did. He looked at her, wondering why no one saw her, or why she didn't announce herself. Staring at her, he saw that she seemed to be in good spirits.

Hermione's eyes slid around the room, then rested on George. To her surprise, he was looking right at her. She smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"Hermione!" Harry said. She looked over at him, and ran to hug him.

After everyone was finished saying hello, Molly herded them to the table for dinner. She levitated the plates of food, and every single person eyed it hungrily.

"Tuck in!" She announced.

During the meal, the marriage law was finally brought up. Before, it was barely mentioned, almost as if it was taboo.

"Personally, I think it's a load of rubbish." Ron said as he shoved a piece of meat into his mouth.

Fred and George grunted in agreement, and others solemnly nodded their heads.

"While I don't like it, I understand why they're doing it." Hermione contributed.

Arthur nodded his head, clearly impressed. "Exactly, Hermione. The ministry is in their right mind for doing this. Our population has lowered alarmingly, and their predicting a high number of squibs to be born."

"But they should at least let us choose who we want to marry!" Fred piped in.

"They are matching couples based on their compatibility. If everyone chose their spouse, there are bound to be couples that won't work, then the rate of unhappy marriages will increase. At least this way, there's a chance of people being happier." His father responded.

Everyone was suddenly in a dreary mood, and barely anyone spoke.

After dinner, everyone went their separate ways. Ginny took Hermione to her room to talk, Harry and Ron went up to the room that they shared, and the twins flooed back to their flat.

The adults stayed downstairs, sitting together and discussing the future of the kids.

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><p>"Hermione, who do you think you'll get paired with?" Ginny asked as she lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Her brow was furrowed in deep thought.<p>

Hermione shrugged. "Ron, I suppose. But I'm not convinced of it."

"It would be brilliant to have you officially in the family, Hermione." Ginny said, suddenly sounding a bit happier.

"Thanks, Ginny. What about you? Who do you think you'll get matched with?" Hermione asked, already knowing the answer.

"Harry, of course. That's what I'm hoping for, anyway."

Hermione nodded, then got into bed. "We'd better get to sleep, Gin. Big day tomorrow."

The next day, the letters were to arrive.

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><p><strong>If you would ever be so kind, please review! It really makes my day to see someone's thoughts on my writingstories.**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Disclaimer: I am not Jo Rowling, and I am not responsible for the amazing series that is Harry Potter._**

Thank you for the reviews, everyone! Each and every one of them warmed my heart.

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><p>Hermione woke up in the wee hours of the morning, right before the sun rose, and couldn't fall back asleep. Grabbing her favorite book, Hogwarts: A History, she went out to the garden to read. It was the only thing she thought would calm her down.<p>

Sitting on a bench, she opened her book. But as hard as she tried, Hermione couldn't focus. That day, she would be finding out who she was marrying. She heaved a sigh, and savored the cool, dawn air. She closed the book, set it aside, and turned her eyes toward the sky. It was beginning to lighten to a pale pink, and she could tell it was going to be a sunny day.

As anxious as she was, the sunrise soothed her. Even though she still hated the idea of the marriage law, Hermione suddenly felt determined to not let it get her down. Sure, marrying Ron at such a young age wasn't in her plan, but it didn't mean her life was over.

She didn't know when she became sure of her getting matched with Ron, but the more she had thought about it before she went to bed the night before, the more she convinced herself that there was no way they _wouldn't_ be paired.

Hermione smiled to herself as the thoughts drifted through her mind. _Hermione Weasley. _Yes, that sounded nice. And then a mental image of a few ginger children running around popped into her head, and she didn't mind that idea either.

As she lost herself in her mind, her eyes began to droop, and she quickly fell asleep.

"They're here! Children, the letters are _here_!" Molly screeched.

Hermione woke with a start, and her heart pounded. Is it really time already? She tried slowing her heart with no luck. Even though she knew she was getting Ron, this would make it official. Grabbing her book, she slowly got to her feet.

Before she knew it, Hermione was inside the Burrow.

Looking around the room, she noticed everyone looked sleepy and stressed. Molly and Arthur were sitting together at the table, while Ron, Harry, and Ginny stood. Hermione barely registered that the twins weren't here, but didn't think much of it. Four letters lay flat on the table.

For a few seconds, it was silent.

"Alright, well, someone go first." Molly encouraged.

Hermione refused to move herself and Ron shook his hand. Harry shrugged, almost nonchalantly, and grabbed the letter with _Harry J. Potter_ written neatly on the front.

Carefully opening it, he scanned the contents, and a smile spread across his face.

"Ginny."

It was all he had to say. Ginny furiously ripped hers open to check, and launched herself at her her future husband, smothering him in a hug. Both of them were laughing, and their happiness was almost contagious.

Almost.

Everyone looked at Ron next, and he slowly reached for his own. He clumsily broke the seal, unfolded the parchment, and read it. When he got to the name of his future wife, he looked shocked.

"Hannah Abbott." He announced.

Hermione's stomach dropped.

_What? _He was matched with _Hannah Abbott_? She couldn't believe it, they'd barely even interacted!

"Oh, Ronald! I remember her, what a lovely girl!" Molly sounded excited, but Ron looked nervous.

"Mum, I've barely even talked to her!" Ron exclaimed. "Though, I always did fancy her a little in school..."

Hermione felt like crying. Ron wasn't even that upset that he wasn't paired with her. Feeling stupid, she then realized she had no idea who she would be marrying.

"Hermione, are you going to open yours?" Harry asked.

She looked up at him, and her best friend was looking at her with kind eyes. He knew what she was feeling right now. He gestured towards the table, encouraging her to grab it.

With shaky hands, she took the letter in her hands. Turning it over, she cracked the seal, and slowly slid it out. Unfolding it, she began reading at the top. Then finally, at the bottom, it said the name of her betrothed.

She read the name over and over again.

But after about the fifteenth time of reading it, and finally believing she hadn't misread it, she looked up at the expectant faces that surrounded her.

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><p>"Fred, our letters are here." George shoved his brother, who was still in bed, and walked into the living room.<p>

At hearing his announcement, Fred jumped out of bed, and practically ran into the room.

"Where's mine?" George pointed to the counter, where both of their letters sat.

Fred hastily grabbed his, tore it open, and read it. He grinned widely, and looked up.

"I take it you got Angie, then?" Fred nodded, stilling smiling.

George was happy for him, but it didn't quite make him feel any better about opening his own. He took it, carefully opened the seal, and read it. And he couldn't believe who he was going to marry.

"Well, who is it?" Fred asked.

"It's...well, it's...Hermione Granger." He said lamely.

Fred's mouth fell open. "You're _kidding_ me!"

"No, I am definitely not." George said quietly.

He didn't really know how he felt about marrying Hermione. He had never really seriously considered her that way. Merlin's beard, she was his little brother's best friend! How could he? But the more he thought about it, the more relieved he felt. At least he knew her, and wasn't marrying a stranger.

Fred laughed, and said, "This is brilliant, Georgie!"

"Brilliant?" His twin questioned with a raised eye brow.

"Yes, brilliant. You're marrying a witch you know, and not to mention she's incredibly clever, and a bit of a looker." As he finished his sentence, he waggled his eyebrows.

"Fred!" He scolded jokingly.

"What? Oh come on, are you telling me you haven't noticed that our little bookworm has grown up quite nicely? I'm not the only one who thinks it."

George thought about it, and hesitantly agreed. Hermione _had_ grown out of her awkward teenage phase, and turned into quite the attractive young woman.

"Just be grateful you didn't get matched with Millicent Bulstrode. Blimey, can you imagine?"

As Fred rattled on about how he felt bad for the bloke betrothed to Millicent, George's thoughts revolved around Hermione.

* * *

><p>"Hermione. Who's your match?" Ginny asked, breaking the silence.<p>

"George." She whispered.

"Who, dear? You're speaking too softly." Molly said.

Hermione cleared her throat, and trying to sound as confident as she could, responded with, "George."

"George...who?" Ron asked. "Not...not my brother, right?"

She nodded in confirmation. "Yes, Ron. Your brother."

Molly and Ginny gasped in surprise, but then looked at each other and smiled.

"Oh, Hermione! You're going to officially be part of the family!" Molly said happily.

She got up and went over to her future daughter in law, and gave her a tight hug.

"Thank you, Molly." Hermione smiled at her. She looked at Ginny, who was looking at her in a very odd, but happy, way.

Molly, Arthur, Ginny, and Harry all started talking cheerfully.

"No, you can't be marrying George." Ron said, silencing the whole room. It was obvious that he was upset.

"Ron, there's no changing it. Besides, aren't you glad that your best friend is marrying into the family?" Arthur told him, trying to calm Ron before he became too upset. He could tell when his son was on the verge of an outburst, and this was definitely the beginning of one.

"No." And with that, Ron went upstairs, and a door slammed.

Molly shook her head, and Arthur sighed.

Hermione had no idea what she was feeling. She was sad that she wasn't marrying Ron, but happy that she was marrying someone she knew. She was also feeling nervous at the thought of being married to George.

Though she would have never admitted it, she had always fancied the twins a little. Even though they had a habit of breaking rules (which certainly bothered Hermione at times), they were still hilarious. They had made her laugh on numerous occasions, especially when she was feeling down.

Also, they were quite handsome. While they were at Hogwarts, almost every girl fancied them, and even though she never told anyone, she was not an exception.

"Hermione," Ginny said, interrupting her thoughts, "let's go talk."

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><p><strong><em>I know the Hermione and George interaction is slow going, but bare with me!<em>**


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: I am not Jo Rowling, and I am not responsible for the amazing series that is Harry Potter_.

**Thank you for all the reviews, everyone!**

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><p>While Molly began to discuss wedding plans with Arthur, Ginny dragged Hermione up to her room. Harry was worried about Ron, and decided to go and talk to him.<p>

Shutting her door, Ginny sat on her bed, and looked at Hermione expectantly. She looked back, her eyes suspicious of what her future sister-in-law was about to unleash on her.

Hermione walked over to her own bed, and sat down. The two girls sat there for a few moments, and just stared at each other. Ginny looked like she was going to burst, and Hermione sat there expectantly, raised her eyebrows, and titled her head, almost as if saying, _Well?_

"Hermione, you're marrying my brother George." Ginny finally said.

She slowly nodded her head, and replied, "Yes. I thought we already established that?"

"Oh, don't give me that tone! What are your thoughts on this?"

Hermione sighed. "I honestly don't know, Gin. I _do_ know that I'm grateful not to be matched with someone like Malfoy, though. Can you imagine being married to him?"

After she stopped talking, she made a gagging noise, and Ginny nodded in agreement.

"Even though George may not be exactly who you wanted to end up sharing your life with, I'm really glad you two were paired. I think you two will be great together!" Ginny said happily.

Hermione snorted. "Look, George is a lovely person. But aren't we opposites?"

"What do you mean?"

"I follow rules, he breaks them. He's prankster, I'm a bookworm. We're just different!"

Ginny said nothing, but only smirked.

It annoyed Hermione. It made her look as if she knew something she didn't.

A soft knock came from the door, and Molly poked her head in.

"Fred and George are coming for dinner, along with Angelina, Bill and Fleur, in about an hour. Would you two mind helping me in the kitchen?"

When Mrs. Weasley mentioned George's name, Hermione's stomach did a flip. And when she realized she would be seeing her future husband in an hour, she suddenly became very nervous.

It must have been obvious on her face, because Molly walked over to her, and took Hermione's hands in her own.

"Hermione, dear. Don't be scared. It's only George. It's not like you haven't met him before!" She laughed.

Hermione gave a weak smile back, and Molly added, "Besides, he's probably just as nervous as you are!"

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><p>George had been pacing for the last hour.<p>

They were going over to the Burrow for dinner, and he kept telling himself over and over again that it was no big deal. But it _was_. He was seeing Hermione for the first time since they found out they were spending the rest of their lives together.

And he was bloody nervous.

What if she was disappointed that she was paired with him? He certainly wasn't disappointed that _he_ was paired with _her_, but would she feel the same? She probably had never even thought of him that way before!

These were the thoughts that had frantically been running through George Weasley's mind. He didn't consider himself a worrier, but he found himself terrified that Hermione would be upset with getting him.

This is where Fred found his twin, and started laughing. Very hard.

George stopped, looked at him, and asked, "What's so funny?"

"You! You're...you're..." He stopped for a moment, trying to catch his breath, "you're going mad because you're going to just be seeing a little bookworm know-it-all who you've known for years!"

George's face relaxed, and laughed along with him. He was right. It was just Hermione. His friend, who he knew was probably feeling the exact same way.

And for the first time, George was feeling better about the marriage law.

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><p>The girls were helping Molly in the kitchen when they heard someone arrive through the fireplace.<p>

Hermione froze, and unknowingly breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Fleur's voice.

Ginny laughed. "You really are nervous, aren't you?"

Hermione shook her head and smiled, going back to chopping the carrots. The others often wondered why she insisted on cutting them, instead of using magic. But cooking was something that she always loved to do, and the meal always tasted better knowing you worked hard to make it. Ginny left her and wandered into the living room.

The fireplace roared to life once again, and the twins' laughs drifted into the kitchen.

And then a strange thing happened. At hearing the laughter of Fred and George, Hermione felt a little less nervous. It was just the same boy that she grew up with, not some new scary man. _Yes_, she thought, _I can do this_.

Realizing she wouldn't be able to focus enough to finish cutting the carrots, Hermione magically cut the rest, washed her hands, and made her way towards everyone else.

Upon entering the room, Hermione's eyes looked around. They first landed on Harry holding hands with Ginny, who noticed her entrance, and looked back at her. His green eyes were happy.

Her eyes continued to scan the room, and everyone seemed so joyful.

Then she saw George, who was already looking directly at her. He smiled softly at her, and she returned it. Her stomach swooped nervously, and she could feel her cheeks burn a little.

He looked away and started talking to Fred.

Hermione walked over to where Harry and Ginny were standing, and started a conversation with them. After a few minutes, Ron entered the room. Half of the room looked at him, and the other half, not aware of what took place earlier in the day, kept talking.

He slowly walked over to Hermione, and stopped in front of her. His eyes were cast down at his feet, and he sheepishly looked up at her.

"Hermione, I'm sorry." He said quietly. "None of us chose this, and I had no right to get angry at you."

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she hugged him.

In his ear, Hermione whispered, "I'm sorry too, Ronald. I'm just sad that we'll never get our chance."

They broke the hug, and Ron looked at her. He nodded and smiled sadly.

George had noticed what was going on, and witnessed their exchange. He knew they had started seeing each other a little after the war ended, and that worried him a little. What if they loved each other? Would he be marrying a girl who was in love with his little brother? He pushed these thoughts to the back of his head, and jumped back into Fred and Angelina's conversation. He would worry about that later.

After awhile, Molly announced that dinner was ready.

Everyone was starting to sit down at the table, when Fred said, "Hermione, come sit over here!" She looked over, and silently went over to the other end.

"Sit right here, between George and I. Yep, there you go."

So there Hermione sat, squeezed in between her future husband and brother-in-law.

George looked at Hermione, and she looked up at him.

"Hi." She greeted softly, with a slight smile.

"Hello." He responded, staring at her. Had he really not noticed how pretty her eyes were?

Right as Hermione was about to say something, Arthur tapped his glass, and Molly stood up.

"Today, all of you got engaged. There's a part of me that is sad, because you all are still children in my eyes. But I'm also happy, because after so much...grief," she took a deep breath, "we need some happiness. And maybe this marriage law is a bit mad, but I think it will bring joy. Now eat, everyone!"

Laughter filled the room, and silverware and plates started to clank together.

Throughout the entire meal, Hermione and George barely spoke, and only when needed to. Hermione noticed that Ginny kept a watchful eye on them, and it made her laugh.

George noticed this, and looked at his betrothed.

"What's so funny?" He asked with a smile.

Hermione jerked her head in his sister's direction, and said, "Ginny. She's watching us like a hawk."

George directed his gaze at his sister, and laughed. "I think she's hoping to catch us snogging or something." He said while waggling his eyebrows.

Hermione let out a loud laugh, and covered her mouth. George smiled even wider, happy to have made her laugh so hard. Blushing, she went back to her dessert.

After everyone had finished eating, they all went and sat in the living room. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat together in a corner. Ginny sat with Bill and Fleur, while Arthur and Molly sat together on the smallest couch. And Fred, George, and Angelina talked quietly while sitting on the largest couch.

Hermione and George kept shooting each other glances. Whenever they would catch each other looking, George would waggle his eyebrows, or make a funny face, causing Hermione to laugh. Every time this happened, Ron's mood darkened a little, but he said nothing.

George was feeling a lot less nervous, but still felt a barrier between the two of them. _It's like a bloody school crush!_ He thought. _We keep sneaking glances at each other, but refuse to speak! That's it, no more._

Standing up from the spot with his twin and Angelina, he walked over to Hermione.

"Can we talk? Privately?" George asked, smiling a little.

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><p><strong>Hey, we're getting somewhere! It's going to be a little awkward between them for awhile, but I think that's a good thing. <strong>

**Please review! They always make my day when I get them!**


	6. Chapter 6

**_Disclaimer: I am not Jo Rowling, and I am not responsible for the amazing series that is Harry Potter.  
><em>**

**Hello everyone! I am so, so, so sorry that I haven't updated in a while! I started school, and then I went on a little weekend vacation. I'm taking quite a few challenging classes, so I might only be updating on the weekends. I also will be on an actual vacation from September 19th to 24th, so there won't be any updates then either. But I will not give up on this story, so don't worry. **

**And thank you for the reviews! You all are so lovely.**

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><p>Hermione looked up at George. For the most part, he looked calm and collected, but she could see a hint of nervousness in his eyes.<p>

"Sure." Hermione finally responded.

He offered her his hand, and when she grabbed it, pulled her up to a standing position. Even though George suddenly found himself not wanting to let go of her soft, delicate hand, he dropped it, and they both walked out of the house. It was starting to get dark, but was still light enough for a walk.

For a few moments, neither of the pair said anything as they began to walk side by side.

"So..." George said, rubbing the back of his neck, and stopped next to a tree. She stopped a few feet away from him.

"We're getting married." Hermione blatantly stated. George looked at her and nodded. She blushed, and looked towards the ground.

"I'm sorry that you're stuck with me." She added quietly, so softly that he barely heard her. He was completely astonished. Why would he be upset that he was matched with her? He had convinced himself that it would be the opposite, that she would not want to be paired with him.

"I'm not." George responded with a shug. At that, Hermione looked up at him, confusion clearly written on her face. He went over to her, and gently put his hand under her chin to lift her face so that she was looking at him.

"Listen, Hermione. I know we're not in love, and we've never even thought of each other in a romantic sense, but you're my friend. I've always enjoyed your company, even if you_ do_ put a damper on our jokes sometimes." He laughed. "But to be honest, I'm glad I was paired with you. I may not have been your first choice, but I'll try and make you happy. Hey, at least you got matched with the more handsome twin, right?" George ended his sentence with a wink and smile.

Hermione laughed, and wiped her eyes. She had not been prepared to hear such a thing from George Weasley, the prankster, and had teared up.

"Thanks, George." She said with a smile. "And, for what it's worth, I'm glad I was paired with you too."

He nodded in response, and drew her in for a hug. She wrapped her arms around his middle, and they broke it a few seconds later.

"We should probably head back inside. It'll be dark soon." Hermione agreed, and they started walking towards the house.

"So, what now?" George asked, feeling a bit awkward.

"You know, I don't really know. I suppose that we should start spending more time together." Hermione suggested.

"You're right. Are you free on Friday, by chance?" He asked, both of them pausing before going inside. _Blimey_, he thought, _I'm asking Hermione Granger on a date._

"Sure, Friday sounds great." She said with a little smile, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him on the cheek.

Both of them walked into the Burrow, not knowing that the other was feeling the same thing.

Excitement.


End file.
